Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Turns out, Ryan knows his powder princesses. He went to high school with one of them, so our group went from five to seven. After sticking together for a few runs, our little group breaks apart, each of us doing our own thing. I end up getting stuck on the lift with the two girls that Ryan knows. They’re both insanely beautiful. The one next to me has strawberry blonde hair, faint freckles across her fair skin, and piercing green eyes. The other has long, straight black hair and a flawless, naturally tan complexion.
“So,” Green Eyes says, breaking the silence. “Which one is yours?”
“My bet’s on Holden,” the one with the dark hair says.
“None of them.” I laugh.
“Really?” She scrutinizes me, her head cocked to the side. “I just thought—I mean, he hasn’t stopped looking at you.”
I look over at her, eyebrows pinched together. “Definitely not.”
“So you’re saying he’s fair game? I don’t want to step on any toes.” This comes from Green Eyes.
“He’s all yours,” I quip as the lift nears the top. My stomach pitches, and I tell myself it’s from the chair lift and not in protest to my words. She’d be doing me a favor, really. I quickly hop off the lift, finding Shayne, Holden, Thayer, and Ryan waiting. The guys have all ditched their jackets, wearing nothing but short-sleeved t-shirts and snowboard pants. And apparently, they’re too cool for helmets because the only one actually wearing one is Shayne.
“I think it’s time for a safety meeting,” Holden says.
“What the hell is that?” Shayne asks.
Holden shakes his head, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “It’s code for a smoke break, little sister.”
I scrunch up my nose in disgust. “Who smokes cigarettes?”
“I’m not talking about cigarettes.”
Oh. Duh.
“We’re in,” Green Eyes chirps from behind me.
“One more run. Then we can get lunch at the lodge after.”
Everyone agrees, making quick work of pulling our goggles back down over our eyes and strapping our feet to our boards. We’re not even halfway down the mountain when someone plows into me from behind. I barely have time to react, belatedly throwing my hands out behind me to break my fall, but the effort is in vain. Before I know it, I’m flat on my back, all the air in my lungs forced from my chest with the impact. I’m gasping for air that doesn’t come. I try to suck in breaths to no avail, my panic rising with each passing second.
I’m vaguely aware of a nearby commotion, but all I can do is lie here, stunned, feeling like I took a punch to the gut.
“Shit, you okay?” Holden’s face comes into view as he leans over me, blocking the blue sky. He pulls my googles up to rest on my helmet, and he must notice my wide eyes because he quickly pulls me up to a sitting position, squatting down beside me. “You’re okay. Just breathe.”
Easy for you to say, I want to yell, but I still can’t take in air, and I’m not wasting it on insults.
Shayne drops down at my side next, ripping her helmet off. “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”
Holden answers for me, cool as a fucking cucumber, while I fight for air. “She just got the wind knocked out of her. She’ll be fine.” He looks over to me. “It’ll feel like you can’t breathe, but it’ll come. Sit here for a second and catch your breath.”
I nod, feigning a calm exterior even though I feel anything but. After what feels like an eternity, I’m able to take in shallow breaths, but I still have that heavy feeling in my chest.
“Maybe we should get ski patrol to check her out?” Shayne suggests.
“God no.” I shake my head. “I just needed a minute.” I try to stand, ignoring the twinge of pain in my wrist and butt when I do. There’s no way in hell I’m getting carried down a mountain on one of those rescue sleds.
“Are you sure?” She doesn’t seem convinced.
“I’ve taken harder hits from cheer,” I point out. “That was nothing.”
She’s about to argue, but Thayer skids to a stop behind us, apparently having missed the action and had come back up the lift to find us. “Ryan’s saving a table.” Seeing us on the ground, his eyes immediately rove over Shayne, as if searching for any sign of injury. “What happened?”
“Relax, lover boy. She’s fine.” I laugh. Or try to. “Go eat,” I tell Shayne. “I’m going to wait back at the house, if that’s cool?” She starts to shake her head, and I can tell she’s going to insist on coming with me, but Holden speaks first.
“I’ll take her,” he surprises me by saying.
“I’m good,” I decline. Once again, he ignores me, dropping down to unclip my feet from the board. “What are you doing?”